Whistler residents and businesses now enjoying natural gas

Pipeline construction and appliance conversion successfully completed

SURREY, BC, Oct. 16 /CNW/ - In just 84 days, a team of more than 100 Terasen Gas employees and contractors in Whistler retrofitted approximately 14,000 propane appliances to operate safely on natural gas. Completion of the appliance conversions signifies the end of a successful project that started four years earlier.

"The conversion of the Resort Municipality of Whistler from piped-propane to natural gas is a milestone for the local community and our company," said Dwain Bell , Vice President of Distribution, Terasen Gas. "Now that natural gas is available in Whistler, residents can use one of the cleanest-burning, most efficient fuels available today."

"With the completion of the project, we have helped Whistler move one step closer to its sustainability goals, while carrying out the role natural gas plays as a foundational fuel in the province," said Bell.

In April, Terasen Gas completed construction of the natural gas pipeline from Squamish to Whistler, which was built in conjunction with Sea-to-Sky Highway improvements. The pipeline enables Whistler to eliminate its reliance on a piped-propane system and take advantage of the many benefits of natural gas.

"By switching to natural gas, Whistler is expected to annually reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7,300 tonnes compared to 2008 levels. This is equivalent to approximately 20 million kilometres travelled in a mid-sized car, or about the emissions footprint of burning 2.65 million litres of gasoline. And, it's not just a one time thing, it's year after year," said Ted Battiston, Whistler Centre for Sustainability Strategic Energy and Emissions Manager.

To further reduce energy consumption, and Whistler's carbon footprint, visit terasengas.com for energy saving tips and to learn more about our energy efficiency programs, incentives and rebates.

For more information about Terasen's role as a leading provider of integrated energy systems in B.C., watch the Energy solutions video on terasengas.com.

Terasen Gas is mainly composed of the operations of Terasen Gas Inc. and Terasen Gas ( Vancouver Island) Inc., both indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Fortis Inc. Fortis Inc., the largest investor-owned distribution utility in Canada , serves more than two million gas and electric customers and has total assets approaching $12 billion . Its regulated holdings include Terasen Gas and electric utilities in five Canadian provinces and three Caribbean countries. Fortis Inc. owns non-regulated hydroelectric generation assets across Canada and in Belize and upper New York State. It also owns hotels and commercial real estate in Canada . Fortis Inc. shares are listed on the

    
    Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional
    information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com or www.sedar.com
    

Photos available upon request.

For further information: Media Contact: Carol Greaves, Community Relations Manager, Terasen Gas (Whistler) Inc., Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]